Hope
by NikkiB1973
Summary: With Victoria dead and life returning to normality, Jake and Bella start thinking of the future...Set in Eclipse AU (no Edward)
1. Chapter 1

**Hope**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Part One-College**

Jacob climbed up the tree outside Bella's window. He had done it so many times that he knew where each hand and foothold was. She had left the window slightly ajar as always. He opened it easily and slipped inside. The lamp beside her bed was still on, illuminating her body which was wrapped from head to foot in her duvet. Jacob smiled to himself as he walked silently over to the bed and knelt beside it.

"Bells." He whispered.

The figure under the duvet moved slightly as two tired eyes appeared. "Jake." She said hoarsely. "What time is it?"

"Two in the morning." Jacob watched as she peeled the duvet off and threw it to the bottom of the bed. "Hurry, Jake. I'm cold." She began to shiver as the chilly air hit her skin.

Jacob swiftly joined her in the bed. She rolled over onto her side so she had her back to him. He quickly spooned behind her, throwing one leg over hers and putting both arms around her. He heard her give a sigh of satisfaction as his supernatural warmth began to seep into her cold skin, warming it nicely. "Better?" He asked.

"Yeah." Bella said in relief. "Why are you so late?"

"Sam wanted to make doubly sure there was no more sign of the nomads that we encountered last week." He told her.

She turned her head so she could look at him. "Was there?"

"No. We scared them off good." Jacob assured her. "Don't fret, Bells. Now Victoria is dead you have nothing to worry about."

A playful smile crossed Bella's lips. "Her death hasn't stopped you staying over every night to keep me _safe._" She teased him.

Jacob rolled away from her and lay on his back, crossing his arms. "Well if you don't need me anymore..."

The cold air hit Bella's skin again and she tugged on his arms. "Nooo...I was just kidding. Come back." She whined.

Jacob laughed as he cuddled her back against his warm body. "I'll always be here to keep you safe." He promised, his voice serious again.

"I know." Bella pulled his arms tighter around her body before drifting off to sleep again.

Jacob lay behind her, watching her sleep for a few moments, before his own exhaustion began to catch up with him. His eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

An annoying beeping sound jolted Jacob awake, his eyes opened briefly as he reached out and hit the alarm clock by the bed. It fell to the floor and smashed into pieces. He glanced at the broken plastic before turning back to go to sleep, wrapping his arms back around a sleeping Bella. He was soon fast asleep again.

* * *

It was broad daylight when Bella finally woke up. The sun was bright and shining right in her eyes through the partially open curtains. She raised her head, her long hair falling in a tangle around her face. She tried to move, but something was pinning her to the bed. She angled her head round and saw that Jacob was lying half on top of her, using her back as a pillow. Bella dug him in the ribs, making him groan.

"Not yet." He wrapped her tighter in his arms as she tried to struggle upright.

"Jake." She hissed. "Wake up. I need to check the time. I can't believe my alarm never went off."

Jacob finally came to. He reluctantly released her and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "It's still early. What's the fuss for?"

Bella climbed over him to retrieve her alarm clock, she frowned when she saw it smashed to pieces on the floor. "Jake, you've killed my clock again." She complained. "Jeez I bet I've missed school again."

Jacob lay back on the bed, his arms crossed behind his head as he watched Bella panic. She slipped off the bed, nearly falling head first to the floor in her haste. She grabbed her cell phone and stared at the time. "It's ten thirty."

"Chill Bells. It's only one day." Jacob said in amusement as she began to root through her wardrobe for some clothes.

"If I get ready quick I can at least make the afternoon classes." Bella said hopefully. "You better go, Jake. Don't you need to get to school yourself."

Jacob yawned. "School's pointless. I'm flunking most of my classes."

Bella stopped scrambling about. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him in astonishment. "I thought you said you were catching up now that the patrol schedules had eased off when Victoria was killed."

Jacob shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't want you to worry."

"Well I am worried. You need to graduate, Jake." Bella fretted. "Maybe if I helped, you could catch up."

"Stop stressing, Bells. I don't need to graduate. I know what I want to do and no amount of exams will get me there. It will take hard work." Jacob reassured her.

"What are you going to do then?" Bella was intrigued.

"I'm going to go into partnership with Sam. We talked about it and he's going to get a loan so we can open up a workshop." Jacob sounded so confident it began to ease Bella's concerns.

"You never mentioned this before."

"I know, but it was only an idea before, but things have gained momentum lately now that things have eased off a bit." Jacob admitted.

Bella gave him a proud smile. "You always continue to amaze me. I wish I could think of something so worthwhile to do."

"You will, honey. I have every faith in you." Jacob gave her one of his sunny smiles.

Bella couldn't help but smile back at him. "Oh well, maybe I'll figure it out when I go to college." She replied flippantly.

Jacob's good mood vanished. It was the first time Bella had ever mentioned college. When they had first begun to spend time together fixing up the rusty old bikes she had more or less dismissed the idea of college, in fact they had spent a good portion of her savings on parts for the bikes. Since that time, the subject had never come up between them again. He had just assumed she wasn't interested.

"I thought you weren't going to go." His voice sounded strange even to his ears.

Bella was now sitting in front of her dressing table mirror, brushing out her hair. "I wasn't going to, but my English teacher pulled me in the other day and told me that he had sent a portfolio of some of my work off to Boston University. It's quite tough to get into, but they came back with a favourable response. He thinks if I really knuckle down to my studies I would have a great chance of getting in,with his backing."

"Won't it be expensive?" Jacob asked quietly.

"Yes, but I spoke to dad and he thinks I should be able to get some financial aid and also there are several scholarships they're running." Bella finished brushing her hair and turned back to look at him. She noticed the stunned expression on his face and she frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Jacob kept his eyes averted from hers. "I just didn't think that you would be leaving."

Bella was quiet for a moment before she answered. "I'll be back for holidays and stuff. I mean I may not even get in."

"You'll get in." Jacob said dully. "You're too clever not to."

Bella went and rejoined him on the bed. She took his hand and held it between both of hers. "Wherever I am, we'll still be best friends, Jake. I'll phone every day."

Jacob finally looked her directly in the eyes. "You say that now, but once you meet some of the rich college boys you'll forget about me." He said stubbornly.

Bella dropped his hand and flashed him a hurt look. "So that's how much faith you have in me and our friendship. You should go if that's what you think."

"Fine." Jacob snapped. He got up and headed for the window. He opened it and turned to look at her one last time. Bella kept her back to him. He felt his heart constrict in his chest as he waited for her to stop him, but she didn't. He slowly climbed out of the window and dropped easily to the ground, landing silently on the balls of his feet.

Jacob ran for the trees and swiftly phased, his paws hitting the dirt as he raced through the forest; howling his misery to the open air.

* * *

Charlie jumped as Bella slammed his plate of toast in front of him. "Do you want pancakes too?" She snapped.

"Not if its going to cause you this much trouble. I'm worried you might dump them over my head." Charlie held up his hands in a placatory gesture.

"Sorry." Bella sat down opposite him.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" He asked her.

"It's Jake." Bella confessed.

"What has he done?" Charlie sighed as he took a slice of toast.

"I told him this morning I was thinking of going to college."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. "This morning?"

Bella realized she had slipped up. She gave her dad a nervous smile. "I meant over the phone."

Charlie relaxed again. "Oh I see. I take it he wasn't happy that you might be leaving."

"No he wasn't. He more or less said I would just abandon him. I can't believe he would think that." Bella said miserably.

Charlie took a bite of his toast and chewed thoughtfully. "Don't be hard on the boy, Bells. I know how close you two are. Jake is never going to have the chance to travel like you. It's understandable that he's worried you might succumb to the bright lights of a big city and college life. You know it's inevitable that you might both drift apart. You are going to make a new set of friends and everything."

"But Jake is my best friend." Bella said softly. "I don't want other friends."

Charlie looked at her confused. "But kiddo, you will make new friends. It will be get very lonely if you isolate yourself. Everyone moves forward when they graduate school."

Bella bit her lip. "I suppose."

"Are you alright, Bells?" Charlie checked again.

Bella pulled herself out of her reverie and forced a smile onto her face. "I'm fine. Thanks for helping me reach a decision."

"I did?" Charlie felt more bewildered then ever. He was sure he had just made a huge error.

"Yes you did." Bella got up and kissed him on the cheek. He flushed red, not used to receiving affection from his daughter. "I'm going to go and see Jake." Bella quickly left the room.

"Hey what about my pancakes?" Charlie called after her.

* * *

Jacob pulled out the oil filter and looked at it in disgust as it practically disintegrated in his hand. "Just fucking great." He threw it on the floor and slammed the hood of the VW Rabbit down. It clanged loudly as it shut. "How am I supposed to afford a new part?"

The sound of the garage door opening made him spin round. He watched as Bella sidled inside. "I could lend you some money if you like." She gave him a hesitant smile as she stood nervously by the doors. She had heard his rhetorical question.

"No thanks." Jacob muttered. "Won't you need all your money for the big college move?"

Bella clasped her hands in front of her as she approached him cautiously. "I'm not going to college."

Jacob stared at her. "You're not?"

"No." Bella said again.

"But this morning you said..."

"I changed my mind." Bella's smile widened. "It was only a stupid idea anyway. I mean I won't know anyone and..."

"And?" Jacob asked.

"My best friend won't be there." Bella said softly. "I mean who will keep me warm at night?"

Jacob swept her up into his arms and held her tight. "You're really staying?"

Bella nodded. "I'm really staying." She promised as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Jacob felt a smidgeon of guilt at her sudden change of heart, but he pushed it down. Bella was staying because she wanted to. He felt happiness surge through him as he continued to hold her, his worries about losing her eased.

_**A/N-thanks for reading. This is just going to be a short story. Nikki :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you to all the kind readers who left such sweet reviews on the first chapter. This is only going to be a short story containing only a few chapters. Nikki :)**_

**Part Two-Crisis Point**

Bella was walking with Angela toward the canteen when her English teacher, Mr Becker, called her over. "Bella, can I have a word please?"

Bella exchanged a look with Angela. "I'll catch you up." She said to her friend.

Angela nodded, her eyes big through her glasses as she gazed at Mr Becker curiously, intrigued as to why he wanted to see Bella. "Okay, see you soon."

Bella gave her a distracted smile before joining Mr Becker in his classroom. "You wanted to see me?" She prompted him.

"Yes." He waved her towards an empty seat. Bella dumped her bag on the floor and sat down, looking up at him expectantly. "Remember we spoke recently about your work and that I was going to send a portfolio of your best pieces to Boston University?"

Bella nodded. "I remember."

A pleased smile crossed Mr Becker's face as he leaned on his desk and pushed a pile of paperwork toward her. "Congratulations Ms Swan, the Dean read your work personally and was particularly impressed. He has written to me requesting that you attend an informal interview to discuss attending. He has sent along a number of financial aid documents and recommended some scholarships you may be interested in."

Bella's mouth dropped open as she stared at her teacher in shock. She couldn't believe it. Nothing like this ever happened to someone like her. She reached out and took the heavy pile of paper with trembling hands. "I can't take it in."

Mr Becker gave her a nod of approval. "You let your low self esteem hold you back too much, Bella. You have a gift for words which you shouldn't waste. I was concerned at one point when you were dating the Cullen boy that he was stifling your talent. I must confess your work back then suffered badly. But since he has moved away your natural instincts for the written word has come to the fore. I expect Chief Swan will be immensely proud."

Bella gave him a faint smile. "Yes, thank you."

"Well go off and eat your lunch. I bet you can't wait to tell your friends." Mr Becker gave her another smile before leading the way out of the classroom.

Bella sat frozen in her seat for a few moments after he left. The weight of the paper in her hands was nothing compared to the weight that was dragging at her heart. She had promised Jacob that she wouldn't go to college, but a small part of her was intrigued by the possibility of attending such a prestigious university. For once she had achieved something on her own merit. With a heavy sigh Bella shoved the papers in her bag and left the room, heading to the canteen to join Angela and the others.

* * *

It was four in the morning when Jacob finally crawled into the bed next to Bella. She didn't wake up when he wrapped his arms around her; she just nestled back against his warm body instinctively. He smiled tiredly as he looked at her affectionately. Her long hair was fanned out around her and she was resting her cheek on her hands, her long lashes casting shadows on her pale skin. She was so beautiful. Jacob pulled her closer and rested his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes as he joined her in sleep.

* * *

The annoying beeping of Bella's new alarm clock woke Jacob up from a restful sleep. He reached out and slammed his hand down on top of the clock, wincing as he heard the sound of crunching plastic. He opened one eye briefly to see he had crushed it. Bella would be pissed. He was still exhausted from his long patrol from the previous night and decided he would wait another hour or so before he faced Bella's wrath. He quickly cuddled her against his chest, throwing one leg possessively over hers as he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Bella felt hot, she opened her eyes and wriggled round to look at Jacob. His body was wrapped completely around hers. No wonder she was sweating. She loved his warmth, but sometimes it could be overwhelming, especially if she was wearing too many layers, like she was now. He had not turned up until the early hours of the morning so she had been colder then normal. She had put on some fleecy pyjamas and was now caked in perspiration.

"Jake." Bella whispered, trying to get him to loosen his hold.

"Five more minutes." Jacob mumbled, yanking her back against his chest.

"No Jake. I need to get up." Bella said louder.

Jacob sighed and opened his eyes. A lazy grin crossed his face as he looked at her. "You look sexy when you're angry."

Bella rolled her eyes. She slipped out of his hold and scrambled off the bed. She started to peel off her pyjama top, the cool air that hit her hot skin was a relief. Jacob had rolled onto his back and he was watching her, the same grin still in place. "I didn't know I was going to get an impromptu strip show. Carry on honey."

Bella threw her top at him as she marched out of the room and headed for the shower. Seconds later Jacob heard the water flow and he settled back down to wait for her to come back. At least she hadn't noticed her alarm clock yet. His eyes wandered around the room, he noticed her cork board which had photos pinned all over it. Most of them were of them both together, with the pack or just the two of them. Intermittently there was the occasional photograph of Charlie, posing awkwardly next to Bella and his dad. That had been last Christmas; they had spent it all together. Bella had cooked and in the evening they had watched old movies while Charlie and Billy got drunk. It had been a fun day.

Jacob got up and strolled over to the board to get a closer look. He smiled as he looked at the pictures that had captured each happy moment from his life for the past two years. He took one off of the board, it was of him and Bella on First beach. He remembered Embry had taken it on one of their days out on the beach during the summer. He had his arm around Bella and she was looking up at him, an adoring smile on her face. Jacob slipped it into his pocket so he could put it in a frame when he got home. He was just about to stroll back to the bed when he noticed a huge stack of papers sitting prominently on Bella's dressing table. His keen eyes noticed the logo of Boston University on the front. A chill ran down his spine as he stared at it.

Bella chose that moment to come back into the room. She had a towel wrapped around her head and was wearing her dressing gown. She looked at him curiously as he stood there, his eyes riveted on something in front of him. Bella was just about to tease him when she glanced at what had captured his attention. It was her college application forms.

Jacob picked them up and threw them on the bed. The papers scattered around the room. "You lied to me." He yelled at her.

"I didn't lie." Bella said in a small voice. "My English teacher just gave them to me yesterday. The Dean had sent them to him."

"You didn't tell him that you weren't going though, did you?" Jacob accused her.

Bella dropped her eyes to the floor. "No I didn't get a chance to. Mr Becker was actually proud of me. It was a nice feeling having someone say that you did well."

Her words brought Jacob up short. "I never said you didn't do well."

"You never actually said that I did either." Bella knelt down and began to gather up the strewn papers.

"I am proud of what you achieved, Bells." Jacob hunkered down in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I just don't understand why you took the papers from him if you are not intending to go...unless you've changed your mind."

Bella stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "It's an amazing opportunity, Jake. Boston is one of the best colleges that do the type of courses that I want. I just never thought I would get to go somewhere like that."

Jacob dropped his hand from her shoulder and stood up. He turned away from her and looked toward the open window. "Some of us don't even get the choice to do anything even if we were given the opportunity. I'm stuck on the Res for the rest of my life. I'll never be able to leave or travel anywhere."

Bella winced at the hurt tone in his voice. She finished gathering the papers together and piled them back on her dressing table. She went over to Jacob and put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back. "You're my best friend, Jake. This time last year I didn't even know if I was going to have a future, let alone attend college. With Victoria after me I wouldn't let myself think about the future. You won't be tied to the reservation forever, Jake. You will get to travel one day, I know it."

"You want to go to Boston, don't you?" Jacob asked her quietly, still not turning to look at her.

Bella sighed sadly as she pressed closer to his back. "Yes, Jake. I want to go." She finally admitted.

* * *

Jacob knelt in front of his mother's grave. He pulled at the weeds angrily, throwing them in a pile. Tears of frustration and hurt welled in his eyes as he concentrated on tidying up her grave site. It had been a while since he had been here. He usually came when something was troubling him, like today. Jacob ran a hand over his eyes, leaving a dirty streak across his face.

"She wants to leave me, mom." Jacob stopped what he was doing and traced his fingers along the inscription on the gravestone. "I can't believe she's just going to go. What am I supposed to do without her? I will hardly see her, she'll be so far away. I'm losing her and I don't know what to do."

As he spoke, Jacob let the tears fall unchecked down his face. The wind stung his skin as it ruffled his short hair. He longed to be able to speak to Sarah for real. Jacob had a good relationship with his dad, but Billy wasn't always the easiest person to talk to, especially when it concerned Bella. His dad would often turn their serious talks into a joke and so Jacob had given up talking to him about her.

Light rain began to fall, coating his naked shoulders and back with water. Jacob ran a hand through his wet hair as he looked up to the heavens. "Please mom, tell me how I can make her stay?" He pleaded. There was no answer. Jacob hunched over and hid his face in his hands as he cried.

* * *

Charlie looked at his daughter in concern. Bella had shown him the admission papers for Boston University. Instead of being happy she looked sad as she filled him in on what Mr Becker had told her. He had tried to congratulate her, but Bella had said she didn't deserve it. She had retreated to the living room, a miserable expression on her face as she sat curled up on the couch, gazing sightlessly at the television.

"Kiddo, what is it? Why the sad look?" Charlie asked her eventually. He turned the television off and faced her. "Aren't you pleased?"

Bella drew her knees up to her chest, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes." She said faintly. "But I don't want to leave anyone behind."

Charlie sat down in his recliner and studied her crestfallen expression. "You mean Jake."

Bella nodded. "I'll miss him so much if I go. I'm not sure that I'll cope without seeing him every day." She kept quiet about his nightly visits.

"You know I love Jake like my own son, but you can't base your whole life around a boy. Just because you go away for a while doesn't mean that you won't still be able to keep in touch." Charlie said gently.

"It won't be the same." Bella pulled one of the couch cushions into her arms and cuddled it to her chest.

"Kiddo you need to think long and hard about what you want out of life, opportunities like this don't come along all that often. You are such a clever girl, it would be a shame to turn your back on something that could help you achieve your full potential. Talk it over with Jake, I bet if you are open and honest with him he will understand. That boy is devoted to you and I know he has your best interests at heart." Charlie stood up again. "Just think about what I said, okay?"

Bella gave him a wan smile. "Thanks dad."

"No problem, kiddo." Charlie headed to the kitchen to finish off some paperwork he had brought home from work.

* * *

The heavy rain drummed on the roof of the house setting Bella's teeth on edge. It was three in the morning and there was still no sign of Jacob. Bella lay on her back, the covers pulled up to her chin as she stared up at the ceiling. She wondered whether he was deliberately avoiding her. She couldn't blame him, he had been so hurt when she had confessed she actually wanted to go. She wished that he was able to come with her, but their difference in ages and the fact that he was tied to the Res made that impossible.

Bella thought about what her dad had said to her earlier. Even if she went, there was still no reason why Jake couldn't come and visit. She would be home for the holidays and they could talk on the phone. All this ran through her mind as she waited for him to come. Another hour passed before he finally climbed through her window. Bella had almost given up on him. He was drenched from head to foot, the water droplets glistening on his tan skin. She sat up and looked at him when he didn't approach the bed.

"Jake." She said uncertainly.

"Bells." Jacob's voice was husky, his emotions were all over the place. "You know I love you, right?"

Bella gasped at his words. Jacob often said that he loved her, but she always took it in the context of the way you loved a friend. This time when he had said the words the inflection of his voice was different and the look in his eyes showed her it was true. Who was she kidding? She had always known that he was in love with her, but she chose to ignore all the signs, making sure to keep their relationship just on the right side of friendship. Jacob seemed to accept this most of the time, although it never stopped him pushing the boundaries on occasion.

"Bells, did you hear what I said?" Jacob asked her, a desperate edge to his voice.

Bella nodded, she held out her arms and he finally came over to the bed and joined her. He lay his head on her lap and she ran her hands through his wet hair. "Where have you been, Jake?" She whispered.

"I've just been wandering aimlessly, thinking." He said quietly.

"About?"

Jacob raised his head and looked into her eyes. "You, me...us."

"Oh, Jake." Bella put her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know that." Jacob put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer against his body.

"What are we going to do, Jake?" Bella asked him, she was just as upset as he was.

"I don't know, Bells. I just don't know." Jacob said sadly as he rested his head on her shoulder and held her tightly as if he was never going to let her go.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for all of the lovely reviews on this story. Nikki :)**_

**Part Three-Unexpected Jealousy**

Graduation was approaching, but Bella didn't feel like celebrating. She was due to travel to Boston to attend an informal interview with the Dean of the university. All of the applications had been filled in and accepted. Bella had applied for financial aid and was looking into applying for one of the scholarships that the Dean had recommended. What had started as an idea was now spiralling toward it's conclusion. If everything went to plan Bella would be leaving Forks to start at Boston University in the Fall.

Jacob had been trying his best to be supportive. He knew that he couldn't hold Bella back from what she really wanted to do. They finally had an intense discussion about how they were both feeling. He admitted he was scared he would lose her and that they would drift apart. Bella was adamant that this would never happen. She confessed she was both excited and scared to go. He was such an integral part of her life that she was worried she wouldn't be able to cope without seeing him every day.

In the end they had reached a stalemate, nothing had been resolved. Instead they both carried on as before, acting as if it was never going to happen. Jacob would come over every night and hold Bella tightly in his arms. Often he would lie awake fretting as the days began to speed by. When Bella told him she would be travelling to Boston for her interview it suddenly became all too real to him. His mood plummeted and he couldn't seem to find it in his heart to wish her well. His fears that she was slipping away from him returned with a vengeance. So any time they spent together was filled with tension and they would often have petty arguments about things, still both avoiding the real issue.

Charlie was going to be travelling with Bella when she went to tour the university. He had taken a few days off of work, they would be gone for three days. He could see that Bella was unhappy, she was trying to put a brave face on things but he knew the tension between her and Jacob was near exploding point. He watched as she went through a check list of things she needed to take with her. They were due at the airport by two in the afternoon. Charlie could see that his daughter had not slept well, there were dark circles under her eyes and she seemed underwhelmed by the thought of seeing the place she would be studying in for the next four years.

"Hey kiddo, you've checked that list a thousand times. I'm sure you have everything you need." Charlie said as he sat down opposite her.

Bella placed the list on the table and gave him a wan smile. "I'm just nervous that's all. I just want to make sure I do well."

"Bells, just be yourself and you'll be fine." Charlie reassured her.

"I hope so." Bella replied faintly. She glanced at the clock, it was nearly ten. Jacob had promised he would come over by half past to spend some time with her before she left for Boston. They'd had another petty argument the night before and she was worried that he wouldn't come.

In the end her fears were groundless. No matter how upset Jacob was he could never stay away. Exactly at ten thirty he was on the doorstep, as soon as Bella opened the door to him he swept her up into a bear hug. Bella felt the tight band constricting her heart ease. "I'm sorry about last night, Bells." He apologized.

"I'm sorry too." Bella clutched onto his shoulders and rested her head next to his. "I wish you could come with me."

"Me too." Jacob agreed. He reluctantly placed her back on her feet. "Do you have time to go for a walk, Bells?"

"Yeah. Dad and I aren't leaving until twelve." Bella told him. "Our flight isn't until two."

"Okay." Jacob held out his hand and Bella took it. She called out to her dad that she was going for a quick walk and then followed Jacob as he led her down the steps and onto the main road.

* * *

They walked side by side in comfortable silence for a while, their joined hands swinging between them. It was a cool day, the sky cloudy. They reached the diner and Jacob tugged her toward the building. "I haven't eaten. Do you mind if I get something to eat?"

Bella smiled at him. "Of course not."

It was quiet inside the diner, the breakfast rush was over. Jacob ordered a cooked breakfast for himself and Bella a coffee. He then chose a private booth for them to sit in, as far away from the few patrons there were. They sat opposite each other, Bella could tell that Jacob was building up to say something. He seemed particularly nervous. She reached across the table that separated them and took his hands.

"What is it?" She asked gently.

He gave her a rueful smile. He pulled one of his hands out of hers and reached into the pocket of his jeans, tugging out a silver chain. Bella gazed at it in wonder as he placed the chain in her free hand. She held it up in front of her and let out a small gasp of wonder as she saw the small wooden wolf dangling from one of the links. It was an exact replica of his spirit wolf.

"Jake this is so amazing." She breathed. "You made this?"

He nodded, a pleased expression lighting up his face. "I carved the wolf, but I bought the bracelet. It was supposed to be a birthday present, but as you're probably not going to be around on your birthday, I thought I would give it to you now."

Bella felt choked. She squeezed the hand she was still holding. "I love it." She said fervently. "Can you put it on for me?"

Jacob released her hand and took the silver bracelet, carefully placing it around her left wrist. He snapped the clasp shut and looked directly into her beautiful brown eyes. "This way you will always have a part of me with you."

"Oh Jake." Bella felt tears well up in her eyes. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too. I love you, Bells." Jacob said earnestly.

Bella was just about to reply when the waitress arrived with their orders. The waitress placed Jacob's plate in front of him and then dumped Bella's coffee in front of her. Then as Bella watched, the waitress brazenly placed a folded napkin with her name and cell phone number in front of Jacob. "Call me." She said with a flirtatious smile before she walked away.

Staring at the napkin, Bella felt the words she had just been about to say to Jacob stick in her throat. The waitress' actions had brought it home to her just what might happen while she was gone. Jacob was an attractive guy, there must be loads of girls who were chasing him. He never mentioned it, but she knew he had offers in the past. His best friends Embry and Quil had hinted at it a few times.

"Bells, are you okay?" Jacob asked her. He had screwed the napkin up and thrown it aside.

"Yeah, of course." Bella forced a smile onto her face as she tried to dampen down her irrational jealousy. She had no claim on Jacob. They were only friends, not lovers. He was free to see whoever he wanted. Why then was her heart breaking at the thought?

* * *

"Come on dude, there's a beach party going on tonight." Quil prodded Jacob with his foot. Jacob was lying under the VW Rabbit, checking the axles for any sign of wear.

"I'm not interested Quil." Jacob said irritably. "Bells said she was going to ring me at eight and I don't want to miss her call."

"You are so whipped man." Quil complained. "Tell him Em."

Embry laughed at Quil's pissed off expression. He hunkered down so he could see Jacob better. "Come on Jake, you can take Bella's call at eight, then we can all head off to the party together."

"I said no." Jacob muttered.

"There's going to be some seniors there dude." Quil announced. "And I know for certain that Maria is coming especially to see you. She's one hot chick."

Jacob crawled out from under the car and stood up, wiping his greasy hands on an old oil rag. "When will you two douches get it into your heads that Bells is the only girl for me."

Quil rolled his eyes. "She's abandoning you man. When Fall comes she'll be off to Boston for good, flirting with all the rich college boys. You really think she's going to give you a second thought. You're not even an official couple."

Jacob hit Quil on the chin, making his friend stagger backwards. "Shut your fucking mouth, Ateara." He roared.

Embry got between them. "Cool it." He warned them both.

Quil wiped the blood off of his bottom lip. "Stay here and wallow." He gave Jacob one last glare before stalking out of the garage.

Embry turned to follow him. "If you change your mind, Jake, you know where we are."

Jacob ignored him, instead he turned back to the VW Rabbit, kicking out at the door, making a huge dent. He cursed under his breath; he had let his anger get the better of him. Quil's words had cut deep, bringing all his worries about Bella meeting some college guy to the surface. He checked the damage, already knowing that it would cost more money then he had to put it right.

* * *

Jacob sat by the phone waiting. It was nearing eight o'clock. After his confrontation with Quil earlier he was desperate to hear Bella's voice. Just as she promised, as soon as the clock ticked over to eight, the phone rang. Jacob answered on the second ring. "Bells?"

"Hey Jake." Bella sounded tired.

"Are you alright, honey?"

"Yeah. I've just finished unpacking. I'm knackered." Bella confessed.

"How was the flight?"

"Okay. Dad got chatted up by one of the air stewardesses, but I don't think he realised."

Jacob laughed. "How could he not know?"

"You know dad. He thought she was just being extra attentive." Bella giggled.

"What's the hotel like?"

"The room is quite tiny. My bed is much bigger. We both definitely wouldn't fit into it." She joked.

Jacob felt sadness wash over him that he wouldn't get to spend the night sleeping next to Bella. It would be the first time in months. "I'm going to miss you tonight, honey."

"Me too." He heard Bella give a sad sigh. "It all just feels foreign here."

"It'll be over before you know it and then you'll be back home." Jacob clutched the phone tighter in his hand as he heard Charlie calling out for Bella.

"I have to go, Jake." She said regretfully.

"Why?"

"They are serving up dinner. Look I'll call you tomorrow. Say at seven?"

"Okay. Bells...I love you." Jacob said huskily.

Bella hesitated for a moment. Jacob wondered if the connection had been cut off. Just as he was about to say her name again she spoke. "I love you too, Jake." She ended the call.

Jacob held the phone to his chest, a big grin lighting up his face as he replayed her words in his head.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you all for the lovely reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Four-A Date**

The three days seemed endless to Jacob. He spent the days either patrolling, making up a business plan with Sam about opening up their own garage or working on the VW Rabbit trying to knock out the dent he had made in the bodywork. While he could think of things to keep him busy during the day; at night was another matter. He missed Bella like crazy, he missed holding her in his arms, having her body pressed close to his own as he slept, he missed the smell of her hair and the sound of her breathing as she slept beside him. As a result he hardly got any shut eye himself. By the third day he was snappy and irritable. Billy had yelled at him to pull his head out of his ass; if he was like this after three days, how was he going to cope when she was gone for an entire semester.

True to her word Bella would ring dead on seven o'clock every evening to talk. He could tell how excited she was by the sound of her voice, but he knew she was trying to downplay just how enthusiastic she was about attending Boston University. Bella told him the interview had gone well, the Dean was a nice man, who had put her at ease straight away. Once she was relaxed the time flew by. She had never spoken so much about her dreams and aspirations before to anyone but Jacob. She waxed lyrical about the campus and the people she had met. Jacob was not happy when the name Gavin kept cropping up in her conversation. Apparently he had been assigned to show Bella and her dad around. He was already attending the university so would be there when she started in the Fall.

So instead of making Jacob feel better that he got to speak to her, it was having the opposite effect. It felt like he was losing her to another life already. He was already letting his irrational jealousy get the better of him. Finally the day dawned when Bella was due to arrive home. Jacob forced himself to try and forget about this Gavin guy and concentrate on the fact that in a few hours he would be able to hold Bella in his arms. She had told him she loved him, which was a huge step forward for her. Jacob was determined to push their relationship forward. Tonight he was going to take her out on a date.

* * *

The taxi dropped Bella and Charlie off at the Swan house, it was three in the afternoon, they were both tired and washed out after the flight. There had been a delay on the way back and they had been stuck in a crowded airport for hours. Bella had texted Jacob to tell him she would be a lot later then expected, so she was surprised to see him sitting on the steps leading up to the house, waiting. As soon as she stepped foot out of the taxi he ran up to her and lifted her into his arms, pulling her into a tight bear hug.

"Air, Jake." Bella gasped as her feet left the floor. Jacob laughed happily as he squeezed her for another few seconds before putting her back down.

"You could help with the cases son." Charlie said irritably as he paid the taxi driver's extortionate fare.

Jacob saluted Charlie jokingly before picking up the bags and following Bella into the house. Jacob dumped the bags into the hall and flung his arm around Bella's shoulders, pulling her into his side. "I missed you." He whispered so Charlie wouldn't hear.

Bella gave him a distracted smile. "Yeah."

Jacob frowned, he was hurt that she didn't say it back to him. He dropped his arm from her shoulders and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans instead. "Am I in the way?"

"Huh?" Bella glanced at him in confusion.

"You don't seem that excited to see me." Jacob snapped.

Bella felt bewildered. Why was he so angry all of a sudden? She was shattered. The past three days had been a whirlwind of activity, she'd had a horrible flight home and he was complaining that she wasn't jumping up and down in delight because he was there. "Stop being such an idiot, Jake. I'm tired."

"Excuse me for missing you. I'll just go." Jacob muttered.

Bella sighed irritably. "Don't do this again. I've just got back. I did miss you. Jeez I practically told you that every night on the phone. I've not slept for three nights because you weren't there." She confessed.

Her words stopped Jacob in his tracks. "Really? You couldn't sleep either?"

"No." Bella sagged against the wall. "I'm so used to you being there, it just felt too weird."

Jacob took her hands in his own. "I'm sorry. I've been the same. I couldn't sleep and the days have just dragged. I shouldn't have kicked off like that."

Bella gave him a rueful smile. "I know. Look go watch T.V or something. Let me take a shower to freshen up, then maybe we can go get something to eat."

Jacob grinned at her. "Sounds like a plan." He watched as Bella climbed the stairs, his heart feeling much lighter after her surprise confession. He spun round and nearly knocked Charlie off of his feet.

"Watch where you're going, Jake." Charlie complained.

"Sorry." Jacob apologized.

"You're in a good mood." Charlie said suspiciously.

"Just glad that Bells is back. Hey, can I ask you something?" Jacob asked.

"If you must." Charlie picked up his case ready to take it to his room and unpack.

"I want to take Bells on a date. I just wanted to check if you were alright with that."

Charlie tried to hide his amusement. The kids practically lived in each others pockets, hell they acted as if they had been dating for months; the constant hand holding and secretive glances were a dead give away. They even had pet names for each other. It was sickening really. Just to torture Jacob for a moment, Charlie gave a mock frown and glared at him. "You better respect my little girl son."

Jacob stood up straighter and pulled his hands out of his pockets. "I will sir, you can bet on it."

Charlie burst out laughing, startling Jacob. He didn't say anything just continued to chuckle to himself as he walked up the stairs, leaving Jacob staring after him in confusion.

* * *

Bella nearly fell down the stairs in her haste to rejoin Jacob, she had a quick shower, ran a comb through her hair and pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She found him watching the television. "Hey." She said as she flopped down next to him on the couch.

Automatically Jacob reached for her hand. "Feel better, honey?"

"Yeah, the shower woke me up a bit." Bella smiled up at him.

Jacob turned the television off with the remote and then turned to face her. "Good, I'm glad you're feeling more awake because I've got something to ask you."

Bella giggled at his serious expression. "Spit it out, Jake."

"I want to take you out..."

"Okay, where do you want to go?"

"No, Bells. I want to take you out on a date." Jacob waited impatiently for her reaction.

"Like a date, date?"

"Yes." Jacob confirmed. "So what do you think?"

Bella hesitated for a moment before replying. She bit her lip nervously. It felt weird to actually place a label on one of their outings, because when she really thought about it, as she had been doing over the last three days, a lot of the stuff they did was something any couple would do on a date. "Err...okay. I mean yeah why not?"

Jacob let out a long held breath. "Cool. So where do you want to go?"

"What right now?" Bella asked in surprise.

"Yes now." Jacob stood up and pulled her after him. "Come on honey. Tell me where you want to go."

"Well I am hungry, maybe we could go get something to eat." She suggested eventually.

"The diner it is." Jacob declared.

Bella shook her head, remembering the slutty waitress who had boldly given Jacob her number. She didn't want to see that woman again. "No, we always go there. If this is a date then I want to go somewhere different."

"Right." Jacob tried to think of somewhere else, but Forks was a small place and there was only the diner. La Push had a couple of small eateries, but nothing special. He couldn't even drive them into Port Angeles. He had been working on the Rabbit and it wasn't drivable. "To be honest Bells there is nowhere else."

Bella sighed. "Well I don't want to eat inside. Let's get a takeaway."

"Why don't you want to eat inside?" Jacob was completely clueless.

"I don't think it would be a good place to go for a date if the staff are hitting on you." Bella snapped.

Jacob finally realized the problem. "Oh you mean the waitress. I'm not interested in her."

"I know that, but she was sure interested in you." Bella poked him in the chest.

"Can I help it if I'm irresistible?" Jacob teased her.

"You are so full of it." Bella was having difficulty hiding her smile. She had missed him so much while she was away.

"So are we going to eat in then?" Jacob gave her the full force of his dark eyes.

"Alright, but as soon as the staff start throwing themselves at you, we're outta there." Bella said firmly.

"Yes, honey." Jacob grinned at her happily as he slipped his arm over her shoulders and led the way out of the house.

* * *

The diner was packed. It was a Saturday afternoon and it was filled with teenagers and families. Jacob managed to grab a booth that had just been vacated by a family. Bella slid in and grimaced when her hand came into contact with an abandoned burger. "God why are kids so messy." She complained as she hunted around for something to wipe her hand on.

"Wait there." Jacob said quickly. He went over to the main till and asked the assistant for a napkin. Bella frowned as she saw the young girl smile widely at Jacob and discreetly fluff her hair. She forced herself to look away, her jealousy over every girl that paid him any attention was getting out of control.

"There you go." Jacob passed her some clean napkins.

"Thanks." Bella mumbled. She wiped her hand as Jacob studied the menu.

"What do you fancy?" He asked. "Apart from me of course."

Bella had to laugh, he always knew how to pull her out of a funk. "Well as you're paying I'll have the most expensive thing on the menu."

"Chips it is then." Jacob said with a smile.

Bella rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, chips it is." She agreed.

* * *

They kept up the easy banter throughout the meal. It always came naturally to them, the gentle teasing, the way they knew each other so well. Jacob fed Bella some of his chips, some sauce fell down her chin and he laughed as he wiped it away for her. Bella returned the favor, her eyes riveted to his full lips as he took a bite. She didn't know what was happening to her. She had known him for so long that she took his good looks and sunny personality for granted. Underneath she knew she was attracted to him, but her persistence in yearning after a failed love affair had blinded her to what was right in front of her eyes.

Jacob ordered some dessert while Bella just had a coffee. They were quieter now as Jacob concentrated on eating and Bella took sips from her mug. The diner had begun to empty and they were now afforded a little more privacy. When he had finished eating Jacob reached across the table and took Bella's hand.

"I've had fun."

"Me too. For a first date, it was perfect, the chips included." Bella said playfully.

"Good." Jacob's smile faded as he his expression turned serious. "I really missed you, Bells."

"I know. I missed you too." Bella squeezed his hand.

"Do you remember what you said when you called the first night?" Jacob finally broached the subject he had been longing to bring up since her return.

Bella's face flushed red. "Yeah."

"What made you say it? I mean after all this time?"

Bella was having trouble meeting his eyes. "I don't know, being apart from you made me realise a lot of things. I mean it made me admit to myself that I've been feeling that way about you for a while."

"You can say it, Bells." Jacob teased her gently.

Bella blushed again. "I l..." Before she could complete her sentence her cell phone rang.

Jacob growled in irritation as she smiled at him apologetically. Bella pulled her cell out of her pocket and answered it. "Hey Gavin."

Jacob's face darkened as he dropped her hand and leaned back in his seat. He watched jealously as Bella chattered animatedly to Gavin about her journey home. The intrusion had brought all his fears crashing around him. His good mood vanished as he felt despair wash over him.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the sweet reviews on this story. I really appreciate it. Nikki :)**_

**Part Five-Oops!**

Jacob was quiet on the way back to the house. Bella tried to get him to talk, but he would only give her one word answers and not engage in a proper conversation. As a result her happiness melted away. She had thought their attempt at a proper date had gone well, but she was clearly mistaken. They stood awkwardly on the front porch, neither of them looking at each other.

"Well I better get back." Jacob shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Okay." Bella said, she felt her heart constrict in her chest. It seemed she had definitely messed up. She must have done something to put Jake off, though she wasn't sure what. Maybe his high expectations had come crashing down to earth as the reality of actually taking her out on a date didn't live up to his dreams. "Thanks for the meal."

"Yeah." Jacob rocked on his heels for a moment, still not looking her in the eye.

Bella waited for him to say something else, but he remained mute. She sighed sadly and began to unlock the door. "Night then."

"Yeah goodnight." Jacob watched her hesitate for a moment before going inside and shutting the door. The sound of the door closing felt like a stab in the chest. How had everything gone so wrong? The date had been amazing, they had both enjoyed themselves, he was certain of it. Then Gavin had to ring. He couldn't believe that Bella had even answered the phone. They were on a date, why would she do that? Worst of all it hadn't been a short conversation either. She had chattered away to this idiot Gavin for a good ten minutes, and then she hadn't even apologized for speaking to another guy while she was out with him. It had been all he could do not to call her out on it. Instead he had tried his best to hide his jealousy, but Bella still hadn't said anything, and now she had gone inside without so much as a kiss goodnight. Well now he knew where he stood.

Jacob kicked at some stones on the driveway in his anger as he headed for the trees near her house. He needed to burn off his anger. The best way to do that was go for a run. He quickly undressed when he reached the trees and phased. He would come back to collect his clothes later.

* * *

Bella made herself a coffee and sat at the kitchen table. She still couldn't believe that everything had gone so wrong. She had really missed Jake over the last three days. At one point it had got so bad that she had been thinking of changing the flights so she could come home early. But now it seemed that her time away had given him some time to re-think their friendship. Perhaps the date had been a test to see whether they gelled as a couple instead of just friends. She obviously hadn't passed. Maybe Jake had realized he didn't fancy her after all. Bella felt totally miserable. How had she managed to get everything so wrong? It was a good thing she was going away soon. If Jake started dating other girls in front of her, she didn't think she could stand it.

By the time she had thought all this through her coffee had gone cold. Bella got up and threw the contents of her mug in the sink. She didn't feel like doing anything but going right to bed. With a heavy heart, she retreated up the stairs and called it a night.

* * *

Jacob finished his patrol and automatically headed for Bella's house. He was exhausted. The combination of three nights of little sleep and his worry that he was already losing Bella to another guy had worn him out. Paul, who he had the misfortune to patrol with, had become irritated with his constant whining about the situation. His advice had been to dump the leech lover and nail some willing chick. Jacob had lost his temper and a fight ensued. Neither of them came off victorious and now Jacob had some injuries to add to his woes.

He stood at the bottom of the tree outside Bella's window and looked up. He wasn't sure he would even be welcome. Jacob hesitated for a few seconds before giving in and climbing the tree. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that the window was half open. She had been expecting him then. He climbed inside and walked silently over to the bed. Bella was laying on her side, an old teddy bear from her childhood clutched to her chest. She seemed to be deeply asleep. Jacob sat on the edge of the bed and nudged her, Bella automatically scooted over, she didn't even open her eyes. Jacob didn't question his luck. If she was wide awake she probably would have chucked him out. He quickly lay down behind her and let out a long held breath when Bella nestled against him. He put his arm across her waist and threw his leg over both of hers; within seconds he was asleep.

* * *

Bella woke up and yawned. She was surprised she had slept through the night. When she tried to move she realized why. Jacob's body was wrapped completely around hers. He was using her back as a pillow and he was holding tightly onto one of her hands. How had she not even heard him come in? Bella felt confused. After his behavior the night before she had assumed he wouldn't be sleeping over, but here he was, just like normal. She didn't know how to act or what to say. Carefully she tried to wriggle out of his embrace, but this only resulted in him rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him. Bella ended up sprawled across his body, her legs straddling him on either side. Her eyes widened as she realized what was now pressed between her legs.

"Jake." Bella squeaked, she couldn't seem to control her voice.

Jacob groaned as he opened one eye lazily. A grin began to form on his lips as he looked at her. "I knew you couldn't keep your hands off me, although I didn't expect you to jump me while I was sleeping." He teased her.

"Let go." Bella huffed. She began to wriggle about again, but this only caused her to press harder on the bulge in Jacob's shorts. He groaned again and she blushed as she felt a pleasurable friction shoot through her.

"Are you sure you want me to let go?" Jacob asked, slightly breathless.

Bella glared at him as he finally released her and she got up quickly, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process. Jacob laughed at her discomfort, enjoying seeing her so flustered.

"You are such an ass." Bella hissed at him.

Jacob grinned and put his hands behind his head as he gazed up at her. "You're the one falling at my feet." He quipped.

"Ugh, you make me so damn mad." Bella clenched her fists in annoyance.

"Good, I'm getting a reaction out of you at last." Jacob's good mood had vanished in a puff of smoke as he remembered the ruined date.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Bella demanded, completely confused by his sudden u-turn. Why was he glaring at her like that?

"Nothing." Jacob said stubbornly.

"If it's nothing then why say it?" Bella questioned him.

"You should know." He muttered.

"Know what?" Bella was getting infuriated with his cryptic answers.

Jacob got up off of the bed and began to pace. He threw her a dark look as his irrational jealousy flared up again. Bella watched him curiously, still utterly bewildered by his changing moods. He was the one who had blown off their date like it meant nothing, and now he was angry with her for gods knows what reason.

"I don't understand you, Jake." She finally said. "We go on a date. I thought we both had a good time, then on the way home you practically become mute. I can't help it if my company was so crap. I don't know what you were expecting. Maybe you should have taken that skanky waitress up on her offer."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Bells?" Jacob said loudly. "You were the one taking phone calls from some idiotic college creep while we were having our date. How the hell did you think that made me feel?"

Bella felt like the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She gaped at him in shock. That was why he had been acting oddly, because she had taken a phone call from Gavin? They stared at each other for a moment as they processed what each other had said.

"So you didn't think my company sucked then?" Bella ventured to ask.

"No. I can't believe you thought that." Jacob said dismissively.

"Oh." Bella gave him a small smile. "I didn't think when I took that call. I'm sorry."

"So you enjoyed the date then?" Jacob checked, he had edged closer to her, his fingers itching to touch her.

"Of course I did." Bella said in exasperation. "When you became all moody on the way home I thought I had done something wrong."

Jacob shrugged. "You were speaking to another guy...I didn't like it."

Bella studied him for a moment. "Jake, you know that I will be mixing with other guys at college, but it doesn't mean that I fancy them. Gavin is just a random. He's not you. No one can ever replace what you mean to me. Don't you know that?"

Jacob swept her up in his arms and held her tightly to his body. He rested his head on her shoulder and breathed her in. "I'm just scared Bells." He finally admitted. "It's so hard. I've been trying to block it out that you're going to be leaving, but the days are just going by too fast."

Bella slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him back just as tightly. "I'm scared too. Half of me keeps saying that I should forget the whole idea and stay right here, but the other half says I need to go and stand on my own two feet for a change. I need to become self sufficient, Jake. I can't keep expecting you to catch me when I fall."

"That's my job, Bells. I love you." Jacob placed her gently onto her feet and put his hands on her face instead.

"It shouldn't be though, Jake. I want us to be equal partners." Bella said firmly. "I want to be able to support you, like you do me."

"But you do." Jacob insisted. "Just being with you makes me happy. You've always supported me when I needed you."

"Not in the way you need. I want to be stronger. I hate relying on everyone so much. I really need this experience, Jake. Please understand." Bella begged him.

Jacob took a deep shuddering breath. "I do understand. I just can't help how I feel."

Bella nodded in understanding. "What are we going to do? We're right back where we started."

"I don't know, honey." Jacob replied sadly. "I don't know."

* * *

Jacob had to leave to go and check on his dad. As it was a Sunday they had agreed to meet up later and go to the beach. Sam and Emily were holding a party at their house and Jacob asked Bella if she felt like going, not as friends but as a couple. She had hesitated for a moment, a bit worried about showing the change in the status of their relationship in front of the others, but Jake seemed to really want it. So Bella had reluctantly agreed.

She spent the rest of the morning getting ready. She had a long relaxing bath to soothe her frazzled nerves and then blow dried and curled her hair, so it fell down her back in a mass of shiny waves. Bella never usually bothered with make up, but she decided to make an effort for Jacob. She nearly poked herself in the eye putting on mascara and took forever deciding whether to go for the vampy red lipstick or the pale pink. In the end, she thought the red looked too much like blood and went for the subtle pink. Bella added a tiny amount of blusher to give her pale complexion some color and declared herself satisfied.

The next obstacle was what to wear. Jacob had always seen her in her usual uniform of a t-shirt and jeans, but Bella wanted to try a different look. She plundered her meager wardrobe and laid all her outfits on the bed. She grimaced as she sorted through them. None of the clothes were suitable. Bella made a mental note to go shopping.

In the end she pulled on her best pair of jeans and added a dressy top. It was a lot lower cut then she would normally wear, but she added a cardigan to cover herself if she got too nervous. The only jewellery Bella wore was Jacob's bracelet. After examining herself in the mirror, Bella tentatively thought she didn't look too hideous. She just hoped that Jake would like what he saw. Grabbing her purse Bella left the house to go and meet up with him.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!:)**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hope**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you so much for the awesome reviews on the last chapter. I really appreciate it. Nikki :)**_

**Part Six-Bella Says the F Word**

Jacob's eyes opened wide when he saw Bella. He ran over to greet her, engulfing her in a bear hug and swinging her around. She clutched onto his shoulders to steady herself as the air left her lungs. "Can't breathe, Jake." She gasped.

He laughed at her familiar phrase. Instead of placing her directly on her feet as he normally would, Jacob let her slide down his body, until her feet hit the ground. Bella could feel every sinewy muscle and his hot skin caused her cheeks to flush red. Jacob too was affected, he had stopped laughing and was staring at her intently. "You look beautiful." He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes as he spoke.

Bella stared back at him, her face was turning redder under his intense scrutiny. It was doing all kinds of things to her insides. No man had ever looked at her the way Jacob was looking at her now. "What are you doing to me?" She murmured.

Jacob smiled as he suddenly took a step back and held out his hand. Bella took it and he laced their fingers together. They began to walk toward Sam and Emily's little wooden cabin, their joined hands swinging between them. "I like the top, Bells."

Bella nudged him in the side. "I bet you do." She self-consciously tried to pull the cardigan over her exposed chest. She wasn't used to showing so much cleavage.

Jacob stopped her. "Don't honey. You look great. Very sophisticated."

Bella giggled at his choice of words. "Sophisticated, huh?"

"Hell yeah." Jacob kissed the back of her hand and grinned. "Although you look beautiful whatever you wear."

Bella blushed again. Jacob was certainly full of the compliments today. Instead of her usual tactic of denying what he said, she accepted his praise graciously, leaning closer into his side and whispering thank you. Jacob too had dressed up, he was wearing a black button down shirt, left open at the neck, he had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. He had teamed the shirt with a pair of dark denim jeans. They hugged his muscular legs and Bella had to stop herself from openly ogling him.

"You look nice too." She choked out.

Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Sort of beautiful?" He teased her.

Bella shook her head. "No there is no sort of about it." She replied in a serious tone. "Jake you are all kinds of beautiful."

This time Jacob's cheeks had a touch of redness to them. He grinned happily and slipped his arm across her shoulders as they continued on their way.

"So is everybody going to be at this party?" Bella asked eventually.

"Yeah."

"Even Paul?"

"Yeah." Jacob looked down at her and smiled. "Don't worry, if he kicks off I'll sort him out. You know he is only teasing you, don't you?"

"Doesn't sound like it when he calls me a leech lover." Bella said irritably."

"That's just Lahote. He's an ass." Jacob said dismissively.

"I suppose." Bella decided she would just have to grit her teeth and bare it if anyone said anything negative toward her. She knew that after all of the trouble she had put the pack through, she deserved some of the insults which were occasionally thrown her way.

They finally reached the pretty little cabin that Sam shared with his imprint, Emily. Bella could smell the distinct aroma of the bonfire, small tendrils of smoke rose in the air behind the cabin. Jacob could sense Bella's nervousness, he squeezed her hand and led her round to the back entrance. They passed through a small gate which led directly to the back of the cabin. Now Bella could hear laughter and the sound of people talking. She made sure to keep close to Jacob's side as he towed her toward the gathered pack.

As soon as they emerged into view everyone turned to look at them. Bella pressed closer to Jacob as she felt everyone watching her intently. She heard Emily telling Sam to stop everyone staring as she came up to greet them.

"Hey you two? Come on in." Emily hugged Bella before taking her hand and leading her away from the others.

Jacob watched them go with a grin on his face. Bella glanced behind her; Jacob gave her a thumbs up sign before he went straight over to Quil and Embry. Emily took Bella into the cabin, the back door led straight into the small, neat kitchen. There was various plates of food set up on the wooden table and Bella could smell muffins cooking in the oven.

"Can I help you with anything, Emily?" Bella asked politely.

"You can help me take the food out in a moment, but for now sit down and rest and we can have a chat away from prying eyes and ears." Emily ushered her over to one of the empty chairs.

Bella sat down, pulling her cardigan tighter around her shoulders as she did so. She smiled at Emily as the other girl took one of the other chairs and sat opposite her. "So, Jake says you and he are now together?" Emily raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Another blush crept across Bella's cheeks. "Yes, it's all very new so...it's early days."

Emily smiled kindly at her. "I'm glad you're giving him a chance, Bella. I have never seen him so happy. He's been walking on air for most of the day."

"Has he?" Bella laughed at the image that put in her head.

"That boy has been in love with you forever. I think it's a relief to all of us that you are finally moving forward. I know that it has been very frustrating for Jake, waiting until you were ready." Emily revealed.

Bella felt uncomfortable. It was like Emily was blaming her for making Jake unhappy because she had taken so long to recover from Edward's abandonment. "I'm sorry if that was causing difficulties for anyone."

"On no, Bella. I didn't mean it like that. It's just when any one of the pack is happy, sad or frustrated they all feel it. Jake, especially, has been all three at one time or another. It's just so good to see him happy. You make him that way. That's a good thing." Emily rushed to reassure her.

Bella exhaled in relief. "I am so glad. I know I took a long time, but I had to be sure."

"I know." Emily patted her hand. "I'm sorry about the others. I think they were half expecting you not to come. It can be quite intimidating facing a pack of wolves."

Bella had to laugh at that statement. "I admit I was nervous."

"Only to be expected." Emily smoothed her long hair over her scarred cheek. "Now that you are staying, it will all be smooth sailing I'm sure."

Bella frowned. "Staying?"

Emily got up from her seat and began to pick up some of the plates and place them on a tray. "We know that you were thinking of going off to college, but now you and Jake are together I assume you will be looking for some sort of job around here."

Bella opened her mouth to dispute this when the back door burst open and Seth and Jared walked in. "Sam sent us in to help bring out the food." Jared said.

Emily handed him the heaped up tray. "Bella and I will bring out the rest."

"Okay." Seth nicked a muffin off the tray and stuffed it in whole. "Hey Bella."

"Hi Seth." Bella gave him a small smile.

"We'll be out in a minute." Emily shooed them both outside.

"Now you take the cakes, Bella and I'll bring the rest." Emily picked up another tray and piled the rest of the confectionery on it. Bella took it from her and went outside, worry about what the other girl had said to her heavy on her mind.

* * *

Bella found Jacob chatting animatedly with Quil and Embry. Quil obviously said something lewd because Jacob suddenly cuffed his friend round the back of the head; this set Embry off laughing. Bella approached them cautiously, beginning to feel nervous again. She was dying to ask Jake what Emily meant.

"Hey Embry, Quil." She greeted them.

"Hey Bella." Quil was rubbing the back of his neck. "Will you keep your man under control?"

Bella gave him a confused smile. "What happened?"

"I was just saying that you..."

"Shut it, Quil." Jacob interjected angrily. He put his arm around Bella's shoulders and pulled her close.

"There's no need to be so fucking territorial, dude." Quil snapped.

"Ignore these two, Bella." Embry said to her. "They're just being idiots."

"You can talk, Call." Quil glared at his friend.

"Not my fault you have a big mouth, Ateara." Embry jeered. He then turned back to Bella. "You look nice by the way, Bella."

"Thank you." She replied, tugging her cardigan tighter around her.

"Don't do that, Bella." Quil told her. "Show them off girl, if you've got it flaunt it, that's what I say."

Jacob smacked Quil round the back of the head again as Bella blushed furiously. She now knew what Quil had been saying before she turned up. No wonder Jacob hit him. She wished she hadn't put on such a low cut top, she felt like a fool.

"Will you take the douche somewhere he can't upset everyone with his verbal diarrhea?" Jacob asked Embry.

"Right on it." Embry winked at Bella as he pulled a protesting Quil over toward the food.

"I'm sorry about him, honey. He can be such an idiot at times." Jacob kissed the top of her head, rubbing soothing circles on her lower back.

Bella forced a smile on her face. "That's okay."

"Come on let's go and get some food before the others eat it all." Jacob guided her toward the overladen picnic table, grabbing two paper plates and filling them up.

Bella hung back while she let him jostle with his brothers for the food. As she stood alone she felt someone come up beside her. She glanced to the left and groaned internally as she saw it was Paul. He was wearing his usual leer as he looked her up and down. "Nice to see you've made a bit of an effort, leech lover." He sneered.

"More than you have evidently." Bella muttered.

"What was that?" Paul questioned her.

"Nothing." Bella kept her eyes fixed straight ahead. "Hadn't you better get some food? You'll miss out otherwise. Wouldn't want you wasting away would we?"

"No I think I'll stay here and enjoy the view." Paul stared down her top blatantly.

His move made Bella's blood boil. "Fuck off Paul." She snapped, louder then she intended.

Everyone turned to look at the two of them. Bella's eyes dropped to the floor as Paul stood nonchalantly returning their stares. "Problem?"

Jacob approached them, carrying two plates of food in his hands. "What the fuck have you been saying now, Lahote?"

"Jake, cool it." Sam warned, coming up to stand beside him. "I won't have fighting in my house."

"Bells?" Are you alright?" Jacob asked her, keeping his eyes on Paul the whole time.

"I'm fine Jake. I just told Paul to fuck off. He must be used to that by now." Bella said evenly.

The other members of the pack burst out laughing at this bold statement. Paul stiffened as he glared at Bella, embarrassment written all over his face. He stalked off toward the food, ignoring the jibes of his brothers. Jacob and Sam exchanged an amused smile.

"Welcome to the pack, Bella Swan." Sam said before returning to Emily's side.

Jacob handed Bella one of the plates. "You are awesome, did you know that?"

Bella nodded shakily. She didn't know where that burst of confidence had come from, she hardly ever swore, but Paul's comments had just got under her skin. Maybe now he would back off and leave her alone. Jacob took Bella's hand and led her toward the bonfire. The others were also heading in that direction. They all sat down in a circle around it and began to eat the food.

* * *

The light from the bonfire had died down and everyone had broken off into small groups. Jacob sat with his arms wrapped around Bella. She had fallen asleep, her head rested on his chest as she snoozed. It had been an enjoyable evening. After the tense start, the rest of the night had gone well. Jacob and Bella had spent a bit of time with each member of the pack. Some of them teased her gently, but Bella held her own. It seemed her long overdue confrontation with Paul had released a hidden confidence that she had kept suppressed for fear of upsetting anyone.

That's what you needed when dealing with the pack, they were one big, rowdy family. If one of them pissed you off, then you called them out on it. In the past Bella would never have said some of the things she had come out with tonight. Often at these gatherings she would hide behind Jacob if one of his brothers stepped out of line, and let him deal with it. But not now; to Jacob's astonishment she had done a complete one eighty and given as good as she got. He was so proud of her.

"I love you, Bells." He whispered as he snuggled her closer against his body.

"My Jacob." She mumbled in her sleep, a small smile curving her lips upwards.

Jacob grinned, feeling on top of the world.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	7. Chapter 7

**Hope**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews on this story! Nikki :)**_

**Part Seven-Hurt**

Bella watched Jacob sleep. As usual his body was wrapped around hers as he cuddled her tightly against his warm body. His head was buried in her shoulder as he snoozed. She had fallen asleep at the party and Jacob had actually carried her comatose body to her truck and driven them both home. She didn't even recall being put to bed. It seemed he had just pulled off her jeans and placed her on the bed, before undressing and joining her himself. It was lucky her dad was pulling an allnighter at the station.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, a frown marring her forehead. She no longer felt tired as she had slept at the party. Bella recalled her conversation with Emily. The other girl seemed to be under the assumption that she was going to be staying now that she and Jacob had moved their relationship forward. Was it just an assumption that Emily had made? Or had Jacob told them that? Bella had wanted to ask him, but now she would have to wait until he woke up. She just hoped it was the former and that Emily had misunderstood things.

Jacob moved in his sleep and pulled her tighter against his body. Bella instinctively rolled onto her side as Jacob threw his leg over hers. He rested his head on her back as he drifted back into a deep sleep. Bella sighed to herself as sleep continued to evade her, she stared at the half open window, the parted curtains blowing in the slight breeze. With Jacob wrapped around her, Bella didn't feel the cold. Graduation was approaching, in less then a week she would be leaving high school forever. She knew that they had both been avoiding the issue of her coming departure for Boston. Jacob had admitted as much to her. They really needed to sit down and have a proper talk about how they were going to deal with their time apart. With all these issues running around her tired brain, Bella finally sank into a fitful sleep.

* * *

When she next woke up, the sun was streaming through the window and she was alone in bed. Bella sat up and rubbed her eyes as she looked around the room. Where was Jake? She threw the bed covers that he had thoughtfully placed over her to one side and stood up. She reached for her dressing gown and tied the sash tight around her slim waist. Bella was just about to leave the room when the sound of the smoke alarm going off made her jump. She groaned internally as she realized where Jacob was.

"Not again." Bella muttered irritably as she hurried out of her room and down the stairs. Billowing smoke from the kitchen almost choked her as she ran into the room. "What the hell, Jake?"

Quickly Bella opened the kitchen window to let some of the smoke out. She breathed in the fresh air gratefully. She turned to the side and saw Jacob holding a crushed smoke alarm. He gave her a sheepish smile as he quickly chucked it in the bin. "Morning." He greeted her.

Bella shook her head in disbelief as she took in the state of the kitchen. The cupboards were dripping with water where the steam had saturated the woodwork. The ceiling was slightly blackened from smoke damage. Putting her hands on her hips, Bella glared at Jacob. "Why?"

Jacob approached her cautiously, his arms open to embrace her. "I was trying to make you breakfast in bed."

"Jake, you can't cook. You know this." Bella said through gritted teeth. "Why do you always do this? Look at the state of the kitchen."

"Come on honey." Jacob pleaded, he pulled her into his arms, giving her the full force of his dark eyes. "Don't be mad. I only turned my back for a second."

"More like ten minutes." Bella grouched. "And that look won't work on me this time."

Jacob gazed at her sadly from under his long lashes, batting them slowly as he pulled his full lips into a pout. "Come on, Bells. I'm sorry, okay. Forgive me? I promise to clear up."

Bella felt her lips twitch as he continued to bat his lashes at her. "Stop it." She said, a giggle escaping her lips as she spoke.

Jacob began to tickle her, running his fingers down her sides, finding her sensitive spots. "Don't." She cried out as she began to laugh in earnest. "That's not fair."

"Maybe not, but it's fun." Jacob continued to tickle her mercilessly. "Say you forgive me, honey and I'll stop."

"You're evil, Jacob Black." Bella gasped, she was running out of breath. "Alright you're forgiven."

"That's better." Jacob stopped the assault with his fingers and grinned at her. "Now I'll clear up while you..."

"Make the breakfast." Bella finished for him, rolling her eyes.

"You got it." Jacob gave her a playful wink as he set to work.

* * *

Two hours later and the kitchen looked more or less the same as before, if you discounted the black mark on the ceiling and the missing smoke alarm. "Do you think Charlie will notice?" Jacob asked as he looked up.

"He's a cop. He'll definitely notice." Bella replied.

"Looks like I'm going to be lectured again then." Jacob sighed.

"He might think it was me." Bella said mildly.

"He'll know it's me." Jacob answered grudgingly.

Bella couldn't stifle her laugh. "Yeah I know."

"You could at least look a little sympathetic." Jacob began to stalk her.

"No, not again, Jake." Bella backed away from him. "That's not fair."

"Oh it so is." Jacob gave an evil laugh as he hauled Bella over his shoulder and began tickling her again until she was begging for mercy.

* * *

"Back to school tomorrow." Bella said with a sigh as she stared up at the blue sky. As it was a rare sunny day they had retreated to First beach to take advantage of the warmth. They had spread a blanket on the sand and were lying on their backs, enjoying the feel of warmth on their skin.

Jacob turned his head to look at her. "You sound sad, Bells."

"Well it's the end isn't it. Another stage of my life over." Bella said softly. She turned her head so she was looking into his eyes. She could see the anxiety in them. "Jake, can I ask you something?"

"What?" His breath hitched in his throat as he saw the serious expression cross Bella's face.

"Emily said something to me yesterday."

"She did?" Jacob tried to sound nonchalant, but failed badly.

"Yes, she said that now we were together that I would be staying here and not going to college. Why would she say that?" Bella sat up and scrutinized Jacob's face. He avoided her gaze and that confirmed what she had already guessed. "You let them think that, didn't you?"

Jacob sat up too, he ran a hand through his hair and looked out toward the ocean moodily. "Well you haven't spoken about it much. I thought you were changing your mind."

"Changing my mind?" Bella said in exasperation. "Going to Boston is a great opportunity for me. I would be a fool to turn my back on it. You said you understood."

"I know that." Jacob retorted. "I do understand, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. We've been having such a good time, Bells. I don't want it to end."

"Just because I'm going to Boston doesn't mean it has to end." Bella took his hands in her own. "We'll talk every day on the phone and I'll write too. Then there's the holidays."

"But you'll be surrounded by people with the same interests as you. You'll make new friends and have new experiences. I can't leave here, Bells. This is it for me. I can't travel or go anywhere. What if you go to college and decided you don't want to come back?" Jacob shrugged her hands off and stood up, turning his back on her.

Bella scrambled to her feet and stared at his broad back. She could see his shoulders were shaking. He was deeply upset and hurt, but then so was she, by his lack of faith in her and what they had together. "If that's how little faith you have in me, Jake, then there is really no point continuing this, is there?"

Jacob took in a quavering breath as her words tore at his fragile heart. "No." He said stubbornly. "There's not."

Bella felt tears welling in her eyes as she gathered up her things and walked away from him. Jacob did not follow her.

* * *

The rain was lashing down. After the lovely sunny day, a storm had moved in and the weather had turned bad. The sky was dark as thunder and lightening thrashed across the sky, the tumultuous wind made the trees near the Swan house bend over double. Bella gazed miserably out of her window as she looked toward the forest. It was past midnight and she couldn't sleep. She had been so certain that Jacob would have been in contact by now. When they had disagreement's before they never let it fester for more then a couple of hours without finding each other to apologize.

This meant it was bad and probably permanent. How had things got so bad so quickly? They had enjoyed two lovely dates. One at the diner, then another the night before. She really thought they had moved past the issue of her going off to college. Was she really supposed to deny herself the chance because Jacob felt insecure? She had tried her best to reassure him, but he didn't seem to believe her words of love, and that was the saddest part of all.

Bella closed her window and drew the curtains. He was obviously not going to come tonight, there was no point waiting for him like a love sick teenager. Jacob had made himself clear. It was over, in every sense of the word. She had lost him, not just as a potential lover, but as a friend as well. An ache in her chest made Bella wince. She rubbed the spot over her heart as she crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her head. In the dark she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

It was five in the morning when the russet wolf appeared within the trees. The fur along his back blew every which way as he limped toward the house. His head hung low, a long gash along his shoulder was still dripping with blood. The wolf had been in a vicious fight with a group of nomads. The storm had brought the cold ones out of hiding. They were on the hunt when he had unexpectedly encountered them. The wind had blown their scent away from him so he had no clue that they were there, the rain having washed away all signs of their footprints. Luckily years of experience had stood him in good stead and he had managed to defeat them. Instead of heading straight home, he had ended up here.

The wolf limped right over toward the three that grew under Bella's window. He raised his head and howled sadly. Seconds later the window was open and Bella peered out into the dark morning. The thunder clouds were blocking out the dawn's early light. Her eyes met those of the russet wolf and she gasped in shock as she saw the blood on his thick fur. The wolf saw her disappear back inside. He waited tiredly where he was until he heard the back door open and saw Bella run over to him.

"What the hell happened, Jake?" She whispered frantically as she began to examine him for injuries. Her gentle hands sank into his fur and he dropped his head onto her shoulder and let out a whimper. "Change back, sweetheart please. I can't help you like this. I need to get you inside."

The wolf whimpered again before his outline shimmered before her startled eyes. She would never get used to seeing Jacob change forms. As soon as he was human again, he dropped to his knees on the wet grass. Bella caught a glimpse of the cuts on his body. The smell of blood always made her feel woozy, but she forced that feeling down and bent over him. "Jake, come on." She put his arm over her shoulder and tried to lift his weight, but she only ended up falling on her butt in the grass.

"Damn it." Bella cursed. She got up and pulled on Jacob's arm again. This time he lurched to his feet and let her lead him into the house and up the stairs to her room.

When he was settled on the bed, Bella quickly fled to the bathroom and gathered up some medical supplies, lucky she had plenty, as her clumsy tendencies meant she needed a ready supply. Chucking them all on the bed, she gently began to dab a warm wash cloth over the blood. It came away easily and as more of Jacob's skin was cleaned, she saw with relief that the cuts were already healing. She dried him off with a clean towel and put a bandage over the deepest cut along his shoulder blade. Throughout the entire time she ministered to him, Jacob said nothing, just watched her with his expressive dark eyes.

"There, that's the best I can do for now." Bella murmured as she checked her handiwork. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Jacob shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it." He said hoarsely.

"Okay." Bella sank to her knees in front of him. "I'm so sorry for what I said before, Jake. I love you."

Jacob put his hands under her arms and pulled her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "I love you too. Forgive me, Bells."

"There's nothing to forgive." Bella hugged him just as tightly as the storm finally began to abate outside.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the lovely reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Eight-An Understanding**

The morning light shone through Bella's window. It was slightly ajar, allowing the cool breeze to ruffle the curtains. Bella opened her eyes and squinted as the sun shone straight in them. After the storm, it was nice to feel the warmth on her skin. She turned her head and looked at Jacob, he was still fast asleep, his cheek resting on her hair. She watched him breathe in out and out slowly, a frown on his face as he dreamed. Jacob had a bad night. Bella had woken when she heard him moan in his sleep and begin to move restlessly. He had said her name a couple of times in a broken whisper. The tone of his voice tearing at her heart. He had sounded so sad.

She rolled over in his embrace so she was facing him. Bella tentatively reached out and touched his face gently with her fingers. She traced the contours of his cheek and ran one finger over his full lips. He stirred slightly before settling back down. Bella splayed her fingers across his cheek, stroking her thumb across the day old stubble. "I love you, Jake." She murmured, shifting closer so that their lips were barely millimetres apart.

Jacob's eyes fluttered open and he blinked a couple of times, as if not quite believing that she was lying there in front of him so close. "Bells?" He said huskily.

Bella continued to stroke his face softly. Her eyes fell to his lips before she closed the small gap and kissed him full on the mouth. Jacob was taken by surprise at her sudden move. It took him a few seconds to take it in that she was really there, kissing him. When he got over the surprise he began to reciprocate, cupping the back of her head with his hand as he moved his mouth with hers. Bella propped herself up on his chest as she pressed her lips harder against his, smiling slightly as she heard him moan.

The kiss intensified, Jacob's other hand grabbed her around the waist and yanked her on top of him. Bella pulled away for a moment, her breath came in short pants as she stared down into his eyes. Jacob gave her a sweet smile as he kissed the nape of her neck, his full lips teasing her skin, sliding down to her collarbone and then back up again to meet her lips.

No words were exchanged as they continued to kiss, Jacob's hand slipped under her tank top, his warm fingers caressing her back, skimming along her sensitised skin, making her press her body harder onto his. Bella sat up so she was sitting astride him. Their eyes locked as they both took in deep breaths, passion overtaking them. Jacob was completely naked, he had never bothered to put anything on after Bella had tended to his wounds. They had fallen asleep through sheer exhaustion, never giving it a thought.

Bella ran her hands over his chiselled chest, raking her nails over the smooth skin. Desire was pouring from Jacob's dark eyes as he watched her explore his skin with her fingers. She leaned over him and kissed down his neck, moving onto his collarbone and then down his chest; all the while running her hands over his taut muscles. Jacob's hands moved down to cup her ass as she continued her ministrations.

She kissed her way back up his chest, using her tongue to trace teasing circles along his throat. Jacob suddenly flipped them over so she was underneath him. Bella gasped in surprise, she took a quavering breath as she stared up at him. He grinned at her before crashing his lips onto hers, stealing her breath as he kissed her deeply. His hand slid down her side and back onto her butt as he pressed her tight against him. Bella's eyes flew open, she could feel how turned on he was. The pleasant friction as their bodies moved against one another's sent a jolt of desire right to her core. She gasped as his lips left hers and travelled down the column of her throat. Bella gripped the back of his hair with her fingers, trying to keep herself under control. Everything was moving too fast, she needed to stop things before they escalated and it would be too late.

"Jake." She said breathlessly. "Jake, we need to stop."

A groan escaped Jacob's lips as he rolled off of her and onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling as he tried to get his raging hormones under control. They lay side by side for a few moments as their breathing slowed down and their passion dimmed.

"I'm sorry, Jake." Bella whispered eventually. "I didn't want to put a stop to things, but I'm not on the pill or anything."

Jacob turned his head to look at her. He smiled and reached across to stroke her tangled hair. "There's no need to be sorry, honey. I loved every moment of it."

"Really?" Bella asked nervously.

Jacob laughed. "Couldn't you tell?"

Bella smiled back at him. "Kinda."

His expression then turned serious. "You were right to stop things. I don't think I would have had the willpower to. We need to get some protection."

Bella nodded. "I've been thinking about going on the pill."

"Are you sure you want to? We could use something else." Jacob asked her.

"No, it's the safest option." Bella said firmly. "We can be as spontaneous as we want then without having to worry."

"Spontaneous, huh?" Jacob rolled onto his side and kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless again once he pulled back. "I like the sound of that."

Bella hit his chest weakly. "That wasn't fair."

"I know." Jacob touched her cheek gently. "I love you, Bells."

"I love you too, Jake." Bella kissed him again. They continued to make out for a while until the alarm forced them to part. "I have to go into school." She said reluctantly.

Jacob sighed. "Okay, come on. I'll make you breakfast while you get ready."

Bella looked horror stricken. "Nooo...I'll make the breakfast."

Jacob laughed at her. "I was just going to make some cereal, honey."

Bella smiled in relief. Cereal he could handle. "You go ahead. I'll be as quick as I can."

Jacob saluted her as he got up from the bed and began to stroll from the room. Bella giggled to herself. He turned back and looked at her in confusion. "What?" He asked.

"I think you better put your shorts on." She pointed to his lower half.

Jacob gave her a sheepish smile before snatching his shorts from the floor and pulling them on. "Just showing you what you have to look forward to." He said with a wink before leaving the room.

Bella laughed again before heading for the shower.

* * *

"That was lovely, Jake. The best cornflakes I have ever tasted." Bella said mock seriously.

He smirked at her as he picked up her plate. "Allow me, sexy lady."

"Wow, does that mean you'll wash up too?" She asked hopefully.

"Nah, pouring the cornflakes can wear a man out. The dishes are all yours lady." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head as he sat back down.

They looked at each other for a moment before Bella's expression turned serious. "We need to talk, Jake."

His good mood vanished at her words. "I know." He said quietly.

Bella reached across the table and took his hands. "It scared me last night seeing you like that." She confessed.

"I've been in fights before." Jacob hedged, wanting to avoid the topic.

"I know, but I've never seen you so..." She searched around for the right word. "So down."

Jacob frowned as he played with her fingers, refusing to look her in the eye. "It was a rough night." He mumbled.

"Jake, please just talk to me." Bella begged him.

He sighed and finally raised his head. "I was caught off guard last night. The patrol was over, Jared had gone home already. I was wandering about, thinking about us, when these nomads jumped me. The storm had hidden their scent and washed away the tracks."

Bella gripped his hands tighter. "You could have been killed."

"I was fine. They were inexperienced fighters. I soon dispatched them." Jacob rushed to reassure her.

"This is all my fault." Bella said shamefully. "If we hadn't argued. Please let's not do that anymore."

Jacob leaned across the table and kissed her. "I promise."

They were quiet for a while as they both avoided the elephant in the room; graduation and Bella's departure for college. Jacob swallowed thickly as he finally broached the subject. "I'm sorry for making you feel guilty about going to college, Bells. I don't want to hold you back from pursuing your dreams."

"Thank you." Bella replied softly. "In an ideal world the college would be close by or you could come with me."

"Yeah, just like on them lame T.V shows." Jacob forced a smile onto his face.

"Yeah." Bella said faintly.

"It's going to be hard without you." Jacob confessed, he looked at her sadly.

Bella's lower lip trembled. "I'm going to miss you every single day."

"Me too." Jacob clutched her hands tighter, as if she was suddenly going to be whisked away at that very moment.

"You trust me, Jake, right? You know that I love only you." Bella begged him with her eyes to believe her words.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm sorry if I've been a bit of a jealous ass. I do trust you. I'll be here waiting, honey. Like you said, we have the holidays and we can phone and if I kick my dad up the butt, he might finally agree to get an internet connection."

Bella's face brightened. "We can Skype?" She suggested hopefully.

"Yeah, of course we can." Jacob leaned across the table and kissed her. "We'll get through this."

"Definitely." Bella agreed. She glanced up at the clock, her dad would be back from his last night shift soon and she needed to head off for school. "I have to go soon, Jake."

Jacob growled in irritation. It seemed they were always running out of time. A thought popped into his head and he wondered if she would agree to what he was about to suggest. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. "Skip with me, Bells."

Bella hesitated for a moment. She had never skipped school in her life, not even when she was going through her zombie phase. She saw the pleading look on Jacob's face and she gave in. "Yeah, why not? It's my last week anyway. I'm entitled to rebel a bit."

Jacob gave her one of his sunny grins. "Awesome. I thought we could go to my house and then decide from there."

"Done." Bella smiled back at him. "Let me get dressed and we'll go."

"Okay." Jacob sat back in his chair and watched as she left the room.

"Oh by they way, Jake." Bella poked her head around the door. "While I'm gone you could wash the dishes."

"Hey, don't push it woman." Jacob threw a dishcloth in her direction as she fled the room, giggling to herself.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


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